'How to be green? Many people have asked us this important question. It's really very simple and requires no expert knowledge or complex skills. Here's the answer. Consume less. Share more. Enjoy life.' Penny Kemp and Derek Wall

24 Jul 2012

Baba Jan and four comrades — all members of the Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) and the Progressive Youth Front (PYF) — have been imprisoned since September last year for standing up for the rights of his people from the Hunza Valley, in the remote province of Gilgit-Baltistan, after their villages and farmlands were flooded in 2010. Collectively they have come to be known as the Hunza Five.

A leading Pakistan newspaper, Dawn, reports that Labour Party Pakistan comrades Baba Jan and Iftikhar Hussain are being tortured by special "anti-terrorist police" unit in an undisclosed location now:

The Hunza Five are among a growing number of those who could be termed “political prisoners of the global climate crisis”.

In 2010, one fifth of Pakistan was flooded after extremely heavy monsoonal rains. Two thousand people died as a result of this extreme weather event and 20 million people suffered displacement and/or destruction of property, livelihood and infrastructure. People around the world donated millions of dollars in emergency aid but not all of that aid got to the real victioms of the devastating floods.

Baba Jan and his comrades were arrested for leading protests of victims of flooding who had been cheated of compensation and assistance by corrupt officials. The Hunza Five have been assaulted, tortured and denied their rigts (including visiting rights and medical treatment) during their imprisonment.

There has been an international campaign of solidarity and here in Australia and we organised for numerous letters of protest and concern to be sent the Pakistani government. This international campaign helped force the authorities to allow Baba Jan and his comrades visits and some medical treatment – which they had been previously denied.

Then, last month, there was word that they were finally about to be granted bail – nine months after they were arrested!

But when Baba Jan’s lawyer went to the magistrate with the bail application the public prosecutor said that the magistrate was not allowed hear this case the police has now inserted new charges under draconian anti-terrorist laws and so his case could be heard only by a special anti-terrorist court.

On July 19, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), consisting of police and intelligence officials, came to Jutial Jail, Gilgit, where Baba Jan was being held, in order to take him into their custody.

Fearing that the team had not actually obtained judicial remand from the Anti-Terrorist Court, which would authorise them to take custody of Baba Jan, and further, fearing that the intention would be torture – either as a last-ditch attempt to extract a confession from Baba Jan or as a vindictive expression of their frustration at not being able to break him so far – the ordinary prisoners rose up in solidarity with Baba Jan and resisted the attempts of the team to shift Baba Jan out of the prison.

The JIT was turned away on July 19 but they returned the following night of July 20 and Baba Jan and one of his comrades Iftikhar Hussain were removed from the Gilgit jail by JIT personnel and taken to an unknown location.

Baba Jan’s lawyers and comrades did all they could to resist any move to hand over custody of Baba Jan to the police or the JIT and demanded that Baba Jan be questioned by the JIT in Jutial Jail. His supporters, especially his family, are said to be extremely worried that giving physical custody of Baba Jan to the crime police or the JIT will inevitably lead to further torture. Given the two previous instances, in October 2011 and April/May 2012, and the fact that the Anti-Terrorism Act admits confessions of the accused as evidence and that torture is an accepted means of “investigation” in our law enforcement paradigm, this is a well-founded fear.

The JIT is composed of police and intelligence agents representating the same establishments that previously abducted and tortured Baba Jan and his comrades in violation of judicial remand.

LPP and PYF comrades in Gilgit are unanimous in their assessment that now that the ruling clique of the region know that their attempts to manipulate the judicial system to pressurise the Hunza Five have almost failed. The authorities are extremely fearful about what will happen when the Hunza Five are at liberty and free to talk of their experiences and expose the reality of the collaborationist, anti-people elite to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.

On July 23 more than 800 locals demonstrated in Hunza valley breaking through the fear imposed by the authorities after they fired on protests last August. This was the first mass protest in the valley for months. The elders of the area gave three days warning to the government to release Baba Jan in three days or face a march to their offices. The younger brother of Bab Jan said they had expected only 50 to 100 to join the march and were awed by the numbers that turned out.

-the trade unionists, human rights defenders, students, working class and all oppressed people who continue the onslaught in Colombia.

Called by Movimiento 22 and Colombia Solidarity Campaign

SOLIDARITY WITH PERU PICKETS 1-3pm and 5pm onwards

International Rally in support to Cajamarca-Peru

PICKET AGAINST CONGA MINING PROJECT!!!

FRIDAY 20TH JULY, 2012 AT 1 PM

OUTSIDE THE PERUVIAN EMBASSY IN LONDON

52 Sloane Street, London SW1X 9SP.

Knightsbridge Tube Station, Buses: C1, 19, 22 o 137

MICAELA BASTIDAS MOVEMENT-UK

+ 5pm picket called by Cajamarca Solidarity

Colombia Caravana UK Lawyers Group

Film night in support of Colombian Human Rights lawyers 24th July 6 -10 PM

The Old Cinema, University of Westminster, Regents Street, near Oxford Circus tube.

The first film is 'Impunity” (2010) an award winning documentary, directed by Colombian journalist Hollman Morris and Swiss-Colombian film-maker Juan Jose Lozano, which looks at the proceedings against demobilised paramilitary leaders under the “Justice and Peace” Law 2005

Maria Full of Grace was made in 2003 by American film-maker Joshua Marston. It is in Spanish with English sub-titles but being an American film you are guaranteed a happy ending!

Each film will be introduced by Peter Burbidge Senior Lecturer in the Law School, University of Westminster and author of Justice and Peace? The role of law in resolving Colombia’s conflict. [2008] ICLR 557

We are delighted to invite you to watch both of these films in an historic central London cinema. A suggested minimum donation £12 will support the work of The Colombia Caravana.

Which dodgy company most deserves the Greenwash Gold medal in 2012? Who is covering up the most environmental destruction and devastating the most communities while pretending to be a good corporate citizen by sponsoring the Olympic games www.greenwashgold.org

4 Jul 2012

Our "Festival Del Sol " on July 7th sees the return of fantastic Peruvian band Kausary to Machynlleth. Kausary means "revive" in Quechua and the band were a big hit at last year's El Sueno Existe . They play a highly charged mix of Andean folk and salsa chicha and will have everyone dancing the night away.

In the afternoon , author of " Ecosocialism ; the Rise Of The Green Left "; Derek Wall will present a talk entitles: " Ecology And Social Justice : Learning From Latin America". Wall is a former principal speaker of the Green Party and campaigns for Socialist and Environmental issues.

There will also be a presentation by Flor Rodriguez on Peruvian Marxist writer : Jose Carlos Mariategui .José Carlos Mariátegui La Chira (14 June 1894– 16 April 1930) was a Peruvian journalist,political philosopher, and activist. A prolific writer before his early death at age 35, he is considered one of the most influential Latin Americansocialistsof the 20th century. Mariátegui's most famous work, Seven Interpretive Essays on Peruvian Reality (1928), is still widely read in South America. An avowed, self-taught Marxist, he insisted that a socialist revolution should evolve organically in Latin America on the basis of local conditions and practices, not the result of mechanically applying a European formula.

His writings have strongly influenced the " Pink Tide" of socialist revival throughout Latin AmericaThere will also be a " Green Chile " food event with locally grown vegetarian food from the Green Isle Growers.For those arriving on the Friday evening , there will be a South American circle dance event at 8pm in Derwenlas Hall.

If you’re going to be around on Sunday morning (8 July), why not join us on a visit to the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), one of the world’s leading environmental education centres, which is a couple of miles from Machynlleth? (www.cat.org.uk). CAT began as a pioneer in the field, and has now been in existence for nearly 40 years. A member of CAT staff, Sally Carr, has offered to lead a tour for those attending the El Sueno event. The tour will begin at 11.00 and will last about an hour. It will provide a general introduction to CAT and the opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at some of the areas not on the usual visitor circuit. Places on the tour will be limited to 20, so let us know if you definitely want to come. If places are still available you will also be able to sign up on the Saturday.